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While many automakers settle for alphanumeric designations for their vehicles, has shown a penchance for a clever name. From Boxster to Cayenne to Cayman to Panamera, Porsche's vehicle names have bucked the trend of A5, 328i, S63 and other popular luxury model names. The latest Porsche is the Macan, a compact crossover vehicle packed with performance.

According to Porsche, the name "Macan" (rhymes with "James Caan") is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger -- which seems entirely appropriate for this quick, agile vehicle.

The Macan impresses with its striking design and just right size. There's a reason that compact crossovers are starting to take off -- they nail the compromise between capability and practicality.

Macan steals from the Porsche design language, and could be mistaken at first glance for a Cayenne. That's understandable -- Macan gives up just about 6" in length at 184.3" (S)/185" (Turbo) to Cayenne and only 3.5" in wheelbase at 110.5".

Macan's aluminum hood is a unique feature that exemplifies the way that Porsche designers and engineers collaborated on the new vehicle. Designers felt that it was important to extend the hood lower in the front for a more sporting look, and engineers agreed, approving of the aerodynamic gains. But the lower hood complicated airflow to the engine, so the air intakes were routed to channels inside the hood's structure, and funneled directly where their flow did the most good. It's a clean, simple and ingenious solution, and contributes to Macan's looks, performance and low cabin noise all at the same time.

Looking around the vehicle, there are Porsche signature features everywhere. The "magical hips" in the rear, with a wide profile over the wheels that tapers up to a narrower greenhouse; the "Porsche Flyline," a roofline that slopes rearward; LED rear taillights that are modeled after the 918 Spyder's lights; and other cues. The visual differences between the S and Turbo models are subtle, beyond the badging. The S gets round tailpipes while the Turbo gets trapezoidal ones, and the S comes with staggered 19" Macan Design wheels and silver brake calipers, while the Turbo comes with staggered 19" Macan Turbo wheels and red brake calipers, for you Porsche spotters out there.

Most importantly, Macan is all Porsche.

Porsche hasn't ignored tradition inside the Macan. The ignition is still located to the left of the steering column, the tachometer is still prominently centered in the gauge cluster, and the cabin is definitely designed around the driving experience. Also, in the finest of Porsche tradition, it is possible to add a list of expensive options, one on top of the other, to quickly raise the bottom line of your Macan.

Macan's second row has plenty of leg, hip and headroom, even for six-footers. Behind the second row, there's room for 17.7 cubic feet of luggage, and storage can be increased to 53 cubic feet by folding down the second row of seats. That's the big win for a crossover over a sports coupe, and Porsche has made sure that the cargo space is as finished a space as the rest of the vehicle.

Macan S and Macan Turbo each get a unique, all-new engine of their own. The S carries a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged 90-degree V6 with direct injection. The 3.0 is rated to produce 340 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, with peak horsepower coming on between 5,500 rpm and 6,500 rpm and peak torque arriving at just 1,450 rpm and sticking around until 5,000 rpm. The Turbo gets a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged 90-degree V6 with direct injection, and it can make 400 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque from 1,350 - 4,500 rpm. Both engines get hooked up to a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters (no manual stick shift on the Macan) with all-wheel drive. Porsche claims that the S can scoot from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, maxing out at 156 mph, while the Turbo covers the same range in 4.6 seconds, topping out at 164 mph. I didn't get to verify top speed claims, but I'm comfortable endorsing the 0-60 times. That's fast in a vehicle that weighs over two tons like the Macan, but the big brakes and supple suspension handle everything beautifully.

The stock suspension is very good, and there are several levels of suspension upgrade available from there, including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and air suspension. Working with the suspension is a very well tuned electromechanical steering system and some very sophisticated traction control software. Once again, there's a menu list of traction control upgrades available, including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), a system that would take an entire article to explain fully. Simplified to the extreme, PTVP works with the traction control system to help direct power to the outside wheels during cornering, which helps with turn in and precise handling. While some other systems apply braking to the inside wheels, Porsche's system instead uses the all-wheel drive layout to direct power, which results in a more efficient and effective application.

During my day with Porsche, I switched from Macan S to Macan Turbo, and got a chance to try different suspension and equipment selections back-to-back-back. I drove and rode along the Angeles Crest Highway and Angeles Forest Highway from Pasadena to Rosamond, California and the "Fastest Road in the West," Willow Springs International Raceway. At the track, Porsche provided opportunities to drive on a tight technical course, Horse Thief Mile; on a longer road course, The Streets of Willow; and on a short off-road excursion with a few big obstacles. Each area showed off the Macan's abilities, and highlighted the differences between the engines and potential setups. In every case, the Macan shined -- and so did the packages. Often, it's difficult to really feel the difference between suspension settings, or to fully appreciate the variations between performance option packages. Not with the Macan -- the more you spend, the more you get.

Macan has instantly rocketed to the front of my list for luxury compact crossovers. The challenge for me would be figuring out which Macan to buy. I really appreciated the big horsepower and torque in the Turbo out on the track, but I was never disappointed with the engine in the S, so I would probably try to spec out an S model with PASM, air suspension, PTV Plus and brushed aluminum interior trim, and try to build a Macan that delivered a good balance of luxury and performance without breaking the bank.

The luxury compact crossover field presents a lot of opportunity to express your taste. The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque makes a powerful statement. I've always been a fan of the Infiniti EX, which has recently been renamed QX50. is entering the fray with the NX, and Lincoln recently stepped up with the MKC. There's plenty of variety in approach, and more on the way.

Macan will certainly set standards for performance, handling and driving experience. Those Porsche purists who refuse to open their hearts to the compact crossover are really missing out on a unique, worthy new member of the Porsche family, and a great new addition to the SUV menagerie.